Breaking The Stoner Stigma
420-Friendly Is Winning Against Fear & Ignorance
As a teenager growing up during the War on Drugs, I chose to become a stoner after noticing that every adult had a vice, a weakness. I thought if I picked mine consciously as a teen, I wouldn’t wake up at 30, addicted to porn, or shopping, or alcohol, so I chose weed. I could very well be the only conscious stoner you know!
In choosing weed, I also chose to hide part of who I am for safety’s sake. Back in the 1980s, we weren’t as worried about being labeled a stoner, as we were about being busted by the cops. During the “Just Say No” era, stoners were constantly hiding around corners, behind bushes, and famously, in basements or laundry rooms. Eventually, I was only hiding to escape judgment.
A Modern Historical Timeline of the Stoner Stereotype
This is intentionally general to provide a glimpse. These labels often overlapped, and the stereotyping started long before the 1960s, as part of false propaganda campaigns.
1960s - Hippie, dirty, beatnik
1970s - Lazy, freeloader, worthless
1980s - Loser, no future, no ambition
1990s - Stupid, mentally incapacitated, Deadhead
2000s - Street, hood, or white trash
2010s - Non-partier, introvert, nerd
2020s - Weeducators, public speakers, entrepreneurs — suddenly we’re valuable!
Stonership IRL (In Real Life)
The way the timeline above has played out in American culture is due, in part, to strategic indoctrination by the federal government. Beginning in the early 1970s, stoners (and organizations run by stoners, like NORML and High Times) have attempted to dismantle the propaganda machine that spewed lies and spun the data in favor of conservative ideology for decades.
While crime was increasing after years of fighting a War on Drugs they’d started, the government was telling us the war was working—just look at all the arrests and busts they’d made! Logic would argue that if the war had been effective, crime would have decreased, not increased.
Chances are you, or someone you know, smokes weed everyday and is fully capable of professional-level conversations and capacity. We all know those people, or ARE those people. I can smoke and smoke and smoke and not really feel high because my tolerance is through the roof. But my limit with alcohol is 2 shots of Jameson—a total lightweight. I rarely drink.
So why do I smoke if I don’t really ever feel high? I enjoy it. The point of consumption for me is not necessarily euphoria, it’s joy. Pure pleasure. The fact that it likely has some positive effects on my immune system is a bonus, although to what degree remains to be seen. Overall, I’m extremely healthy.
My lungs have been on the receiving end of the negative effects of daily smoke inhalation for nearly 40 years, and I’m reminded of that sacrifice regularly. The Emerald Triangle cannabis I consume is organic, but in terms of long-term damage, there’s no escaping that smoke is an enemy of the lung. People who don’t understand weed have told me to switch to edibles instead of smoking. It’s a different experience, a totally different high. Maybe I’ll get there in my elder years.
The cigarette and alcohol industry had a stronghold for a long time on consumer preference…demand for liquor, beer, wine, and cigarettes held pretty steady since the end of alcohol prohibition in 1933 until the 1970s. After all, drinking and smoking at the office were perfectly acceptable, while marijuana was shunned by conservatives.
Medical history would enlighten us all, turning cigarettes into “cancer sticks” and alcohol into “dementia drinks”. The most recent research about alcohol shows that there is NO amount that is healthy to drink.
The way my body reacts to alcohol makes it obvious it’s poison. The way my body reacts to weed makes it obvious it’s medicine…at least for me.
As one who strives for success, laser focused on aspirations, I gravitated toward weed partially for its allure of harmlessness (I’d seen my parents smoking regularly, yet never out of control nor lethargic), but I also think I chose it as a way to self-medicate, for the balance it provides me. Smoking weed helps to ground me. It unwinds my mental state in a way that allows me to think more methodically. Instead of slowing me down, it regulates my fast-paced mind to an average speed.
The Incredible Endocannabinoid System
A breakthrough in our human endocannabinoid system (ECS) came smack-dab in the middle of the War on Drugs in 1988. A female scientist, Dr. Allyn Howlett, based her work on discoveries from the 1960s and isolated the THC cannabinoid receptor in rats to show how bodies process cannabinoids from the cannabis plant in such an efficient and medicinal way, it was systematic. It should’ve taken medical and pharmaceutical communities by storm—a whole new system of receptors designed to distribute cannabis medicine without any visible negative side effects or overdose.
Think about the intricacies and importance of the nervous and circulatory systems. This new regulatory system was a phenomenal discovery at the time! But the importance of that discovery wouldn’t make its way throughout the medical community, much less into the general public anytime soon—the U.S. government saw to that. Big Pharma was positioned to launch an opioid epidemic in the late '80s, so they weren’t interested in natural medicine.
Politicians and agency heads needed to “ixnay the edicalmay” information because it interfered with their agenda of creating criminals to imprison, as well as Big Pharma’s (Big Donor/Lobbyist’s) goal of hooking vulnerable Americans on prescribed heroine. The more people they hooked, arrested, rehab’d, and imprisoned, the easier that data was spun to make the War on Drugs look like it made sense. In reality it was (and still is) a continued policy fail, costing billions in taxpayer dollars without producing any positive results.
As scientists are encouraged (and financed) to research the intricacies of the ECS, we will come to understand more about how various cannabinoid cells affect people in different ways…why one person can have a panic attack after smoking weed, while another experiences a blissful, happy high smoking the same strain at the same time. The explanation is in chemistry yet to be discovered.
Here’s an interesting timeline for those of you who want to rabbit-hole the history of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system.
My Marijuana Masquerade
When I was a teen and young adult, hiding that I was a stoner became part of my identity as much as my stonership itself. My adult life took off, and camouflage became a necessity…as an employee at world leading companies, as a mom, a Rotarian, a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, a neighbor, a school Board member, a traveler & guest, a marketing consultant, even as a friend (some of my friends frowned upon weed).
For a long time—a good 20 years of my life—I thought the best way for me to break the stigma was to achieve. I called myself a “high achiever” among my close friends to buck the stigma and felt huge pride in my accomplishments…awards, wins, promotions, big salaries…thinking each triumph would prove to the world something I felt destined to exemplify: that stoners aren’t flakey dipshits.
My intentions were solid, but my aim was off. I was shootin’ wild with both hands, trying to hide part of my identity, while somehow simultaneously proving to the world that the identity I was hiding was worthy. In retrospect, it makes absolutely no sense.
I became so accustomed to the masquerade, it took me about 5 years to fully embody my NorCalWeedGal self, slowly shedding those layers of protection after recreational legalization here in California. I dabbled in that freedom before then, but felt it too risky (professionally) in the long run.
After California’s recreational legalization in 2018, I slowly started realizing I didn’t have to hide anymore. And when I “came out of the basement” so to speak, I flexed. When our individual spirit is suppressed and suddenly finds itself free to soar, it wants to fly to exhaustion.
By 2020, I was in full Emerald Triangle research and development mode…talking with farmers and business owners here, meeting Visitor Center directors, networking, and snapping pics and vids of iconic Em Tri scenery on road trip after road trip. Breaking that stoner stigma gradually folded right into my work and it all felt right.
I realized about 6 years ago that it was time to adapt and retire my second nature of hiding. I knew it would be uncomfortable, maybe even awkward. Yeah, whatever—worth it! No more subtle shame. No insecurity. And no flexing needed. Just be me. I figured out who that was along the way, giving this journey in the latter half of my life some unexpected purpose. It wouldn’t be until 2024 that I put all my chips on the table and changed my Facebook profile to include my NorCalWeedGal identity.
People sometimes use my nickname to insult me on social media. I’m cool with that. After years of R&D about the history of cannabis and the Emerald Triangle, the putdowns feel more ignorant than insulting. I simply don’t believe them, so they vaporize like a puff of full-spec rosin in a NorCal breeze.
Celebrity Power for the Flower
If you want something said, say it. If you want it to be heard, have a celebrity say it. The truth in America is that celebrities have a level of unrivaled power that gives them opportunities to shift public thinking. My step-mom was a legal secretary for the attorney for the Grateful Dead. She’d tell us stories at the dinner table of Jerry Garcia walking into their office smoking a joint, or lighting one up in the middle of a meeting. That was just Jerry.
Snoop Dogg is the same way. During the Roast of Justin Bieber, Snoop was seated next to Martha Stewart, who said he never stopped smoking blunts and by the end of the show, she was high as a kite! Normalizing it doesn’t encourage smoking weed any more than a guy holding a beer encourages drinking.
Woody Harrelson put himself out there as a stoner fairly early in his career, refusing to hide. He used his celebrity to do more than smoke at his leisure, he became a loud advocate for legalization.
Harrelson continues to make strides in the industry with The Woods dispensary and smoking lounge in Southern California (and expanding with locations nationwide), where he holds annual cannabis competitions to highlight and support small farmers.
A fan of Emerald Triangle outdoor herb, Harrelson created a category solely for EmTri outdoor farmers called “Woody’s Personal Stash” and this year, chose flower from Trinity Alps Canna Craft as the winner. A spotlight on their brand these boutique farmers wouldn’t otherwise see.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the legend himself—Willie Nelson. The original IDGAF-what-you-think stoner. Willie proved the stereotype false early on, except no one was paying much attention to that fact. Willie’s smoking became more of a running joke than a testament of truth.
These celebs are just a handful that used their power to help break the stoner stigma by showing and doing. It wasn’t a gimmick, or hype. It was just them being themselves. A freedom not to be underestimated.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Cannifest 2026 in Humboldt! This year’s event takes place the weekend of Sept. 12-13th at Arcata Ballpark in Arcata, California. Not to be confused with the worldwide CannAfest, Humboldt’s Cannifest is filled with Emerald Triangle industry legends (it’s where I met legacy farmers Jill and Eric from Humboldt’s Most Wanted). I nerd out on that shit, but if rubbing elbows with legacy farmers isn’t your jam, there’s a TON of other cool stuff…
A couple nice stages and live music for most of the festival
Local bands and outsiders that rock the house
Artists in action (graffiti artists, henna tattoos)
Local vendors on site (candies, hemp goods, merch, food, alcohol)
Shuttle and walking to local dispensaries for legal cannabis purchases
Dispensary owner meet & greets at their exhibit booths, discount & promo cards
Dancing, shopping merch, eating the best EmTri food truck grub, frisbee
Fun, easy-to-meet locals looking to have a good time, awesome vibe
On-site smoking lounge areas (no alcohol allowed in these areas)
Cannifest in Humboldt celebrates the origin of sinsemilla—The Emerald Triangle
Weekend passes available. Last year I camped nearby to avoid driving. Here’s the Cannifest list of recommended accommodations. Get your tickets now while they’re still discounted before July 21, 2026!
All my recommendations are personally curated, authentic, and unsponsored. Feel free to tag me in pics! @norcalweedgal
The Emerald Triangle’s Murder Mystery Podcast
If you like murder mysteries and podcasts, check out my new Emerald Triangle’s Murder Mystery Podcast on YouTube! Uninterrupted, professional murder mysteries that keep you in suspense until the last scene. Always a twist ending!
NEW EPISODE THIS SUNDAY: Small Town Girl
Hi, I’m Kerry Hurley, aka “NorCalWeedGal” (thanks to my lifelong stonership). Thanks for reading! A little about me…I consciously decided to become a regular cannabis consumer at 16 years old. I wrote about that here, if you’re interested to read more.
Anyway, I grew up, and currently live in, the Emerald Triangle. A perfect place to be a teenage stoner! (except the War on Drugs was raging here then) My friends and I, including a retired Sheriff Sergeant from Trinity County, have some wild stories from that time. And in my 6 years of research and interviews, I’ve discovered so much more to share about the dark side…the corruption, scandals, murders. And the inspirational side…the talented innovators, artists, and multi-generational farmers. I hope you’ll subscribe and join me!
Stories from Inside The Emerald Triangle are all true, to the best of any witness recollection. I also do my best to verify information through public records, additional first-hand accounts, photos, archives, and media reports. This isn’t bullshit. It’s 100% human written and human lived! I don’t use AI, even for editing. (as you may notice by the occasional human error)
The purpose of this publication is to document and distribute true history about Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity Counties (mostly during the War on Drugs from 1979-1996) in order to preserve it, while at the same time, sharing it to entertain and educate others in a modern context.
I appreciate your interest in this slice of American history, and your kind consideration of upgrading to the paid version (even if just for a month or two) to help me continue this work. It really does help. Thanks so much for reading!
In high regards,
Kerry, NorCalWeedGal
» on Facebook & Instagram, I’m @NorCalWeedGal
GLOSSARY:
Allyn Howlett, PhD - Scientist professor who isolated and identified the endocannabinoid system in the human body in 1988. Her breakthrough paved the way for a deeper understanding of receptors CB1 and CB2 in the 1990s.
Endocannabinoid System - A receptor system in humans and all animal life, from mammals to invertebrates, that helps us maintain biological balance. The only plant that also has an endocannabinoid system is cannabis. When the plant is consumed, the endocannabinoids in the plant “speak” to the human receptors and are distributed accordingly as medicine. Sometimes people have adverse reactions to weed (like panic attacks) and medical studies are finally now being allowed to determine more about how and why the plant works as it does. Stay tuned!
Full-Spec Rosin - Refers to “full-spectrum rosin” as a type of vape cartridge. Rosin is created through manufacturing cannabis.
Ixnay the edicalmay - Pig Latin for “nix the medical”, meaning “don’t discuss it”.
R & D - Research and development.
Stonership - The act of being a long-term stoner. Membership in the Club of Stoners.
Weeducator - A weed educator, someone who has extensive knowledge about cannabis and shares it with others through workshops, conferences, speaking engagements, published work, and various channels of media distribution. Different from people getting high in front of a camera. Weeducators are more about getting knowledge in front of the camera.